This prompt "Why I'm a Oregon State Beavers Fan" has caused me to pause--to pause my constant clicking and swiping and analyzing, my constant mental digesting of Beaver current events against the backdrop of Beaver history--to answer the question that I had, until clicking on senior editor Marcus Russell's post, considered self-evident.

In short, I am a fan of the Oregon State Beavers because I am an Oregon State Beaver. When the Beavs play someone, I play someone. When the Beavs lose, I lose; when the Beavs win, I win. In the same way that an athlete is a Beaver, I too am one. From my early childhood until now, I have been more closely connected to the Beavers as a group than to any other group.

So this at first startling question has an easy answer. I'm not a fan. I'm more than a fan. I'm part of the dam. I'm part of Beaver Nation, and I love it.